Tom Izzo made even more Big Ten history on Saturday.

The long-time Michigan State head coach broke Bob Knight’s long-standing record for the most conference wins in Big Ten history, securing his 354th such victory in Saturday’s 79-65 victory over Illinois. Additionally, Izzo already has the most total wins all-time for a Big Ten head coach (727) to go with some of his other standout records and accomplishments in his 30 seasons coaching Michigan State.

As Izzo surpassed Knight for the most conference wins ever in Big Ten history, the debate about which coach is the greatest in the history of the conference will continue to rage on. 

That said, let’s rank the 10 best coaches in Big Ten history. 

10 best coaches in Big Ten men’s basketball history

10. Purdue‘s Ward Lambert

Lambert helped establish Purdue as a power in college basketball when he became its head coach in 1916. After joining the Big Ten in 1918, Lambert coached the Boilermakers to 11 conference championships over a 20-year stretch from 1920 to 1940. Those 11 regular-season conference titles are tied for the most by a coach in Big Ten history. 

Even though Lambert coached Purdue for 28 seasons, it’s arguable that his win totals were a bit suppressed considering that the Big Ten didn’t exist and the NCAA Tournament wasn’t created until late in his tenure. As Purdue often played 20 games or fewer in Lambert’s time as head coach, he still sits sixth all-time in total Big Ten wins (371) and fifth in Big Ten conference wins (228) as of February 2025.

9. Illinois‘ Lou Henson 

Henson consistently had Illinois in contention for Big Ten titles over his 21 seasons as the Fighting Illini’s head coach (1975-96). Illinois had 13 top-five finishes in the conference over a 15-year stretch from 1980 to 1995, winning the regular season crown in 1984. Illinois made the NCAA Tournament in 12 of those aforementioned 13 seasons, making the Sweet 16 four times, the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once.

That long stretch of consistency has placed Henson pretty high up on the all-time wins lists in the Big Ten. When he left Illinois, Henson was second in overall wins (421) and third in conference wins (214) in Big Ten history. As of February 2025, he ranks sixth and fifth in those lists, respectively.

Becoming Wisconsin’s new head coach a year after the Badgers made the Final Four, Ryan kept the bar high for success in Madison. He immediately led Wisconsin to a Big Ten regular-season title in the 2001-02 season, which was viewed as a surprise at the time. But Wisconsin fans got to enjoy many other seasons like that during Ryan’s 16-year tenure. The Badgers made the NCAA Tournament and finished in the top five in conference play in each of the 15 full seasons that Ryan was at the helm.

Ryan led Wisconsin to three more Big Ten regular-season titles after his first season and added three Big Ten Tournament wins during his tenure. After five Sweet 16 trips and an Elite Eight appearance over his first 12 seasons, Ryan finally got over the hump to lead the Badgers to the Final Four in his final two full seasons with the program. In its second trip, Wisconsin upset then-undefeated Kentucky in the semifinal before losing in the title game.

Ryan finished his time in Madison with 364 total wins (tied for the seventh-most in Big Ten history) and 172 conference victories (10th-most in Big Ten history). As of February 2025, Ryan’s 73.1 winning percentage at Wisconsin is the best mark of any coach who coached at least 110 games at a Big Ten school.

Prior to Izzo, Heathcote raised Michigan State’s profile as one of the most respected programs in the sport during his 19 seasons as head coach (1976-95). Heathcote’s most memorable years at the helm in East Lansing came relatively early in his tenure. He recruited Magic Johnson to Michigan State, with the coach and player leading the Spartans to their first national championship in program history in 1979. They also won two Big Ten titles during their partnership.

After a few down seasons in the early 1980s, Heathcote righted the ship later in the decade and into the 1990s as the NCAA Tournament expanded. He coached Michigan State to nine top-five Big Ten finishes in his final 12 seasons at the helm, picking up another regular-season title in 1990. At the time of his retirement in 1995, Heathcote had the fifth-most total wins for a head coach in Big Ten history (336). 

He sits 10th on that list and has the eighth-most conference wins (182) for a Big Ten coach as of February 2025.

6. Purdue‘s Matt Painter

Painter has helped keep Purdue rolling in his two decades as its head coach. Like many other coaches on this list, Painter’s down years have been few and far between. He has already clinched a winning season for the 17th time in his 20 years as Purdue’s coach, helping the Boilermakers make the NCAA Tournament 15 times as of February 2025. They’ve won at least one game in 11 of those trips, making the Sweet 16 seven times, the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once. 

Purdue has also consistently contended for Big Ten titles under Painter’s watch. It has finished in the top four in the conference 14 times under Painter, winning five regular-season titles and two conference tournament titles. After coaching a group headlined by Robbie Hummel early in his career, Painter has seen more success in recent years. He coached two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, with his graduating class finishing with the most Big Ten wins (59). That group helped Purdue reach the national championship for the first time since 1969 in 2024.

Painter might be the biggest threat to Izzo’s wins records. As of February 2025, Painter has the fourth-most total wins (466) and conference wins (237) in Big Ten history. His five Big Ten Coach of the Year awards are also the second-most in conference history. 

5. Purdue’s Gene Keady

After some time away from the top of the Big Ten in the decades after Lambert’s retirement, Purdue returned as a Big Ten powerhouse under Keady. A few years after his hiring in 1980, Keady began a 12-year stretch where he led Purdue to six Big Ten regular-season titles, constantly challenging Indiana at the height of its program’s history. Purdue also only finished outside the top five in the Big Ten standings four times in Keady’s 25 seasons as head coach, providing a stretch of stability that’s been rare in the conference’s history. 

As a result, Purdue was largely a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament during Keady’s run there. The Boilermakers made the NCAA Tournament 16 times between 1982-2000, reaching the Elite Eight twice and the Sweet 16 five times. Even though Keady never made a Final Four, he finished his time at Purdue in 2005 as one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the sport. His seven Big Ten Coach of the Year awards are the most all-time, and he was named national coach of the year six times in his career. 

Keady’s 512 total wins and 265 conference victories are the third-most for a Big Ten coach, recording 14 20-plus win seasons during his 25 years at Purdue. 

After a brief stint as an MLB player, Taylor returned to his alma mater to become Ohio State’s head basketball coach in 1958, embarking on one of the most dominant runs in Big Ten history. Following a .500 season in his first year at the helm, Taylor led Ohio State to five consecutive Big Ten titles. The first year of that stretch culminated with a national championship, with Taylor leading the Buckeyes to a 28-3 record. Ohio State was even stronger in the regular season in the following two years. It carried a 27-0 record entering the 1961 national championship but lost in the title game. It reached the title game again in 1962 with a 26-1 record at the time but fell again. 

Those were the peak seasons of Taylor’s time as Ohio State’s head coach. However, he still had plenty of good seasons in Columbus. The Buckeyes reached the Final Four again in 1968 and the Elite Eight in 1971. Taylor’s run at Ohio State ended after a few middling seasons in 1976. When he retired, Taylor had the fourth-most total wins for a Big Ten coach (297). He sits 12th in all-time Big Ten total wins list as of February 2025. His seven regular-season titles are also the seventh-most in Big Ten history. 

3. Indiana‘s Branch McCracken

McCracken helped make Indiana one of basketball’s blue blood programs in his nearly 30 years as the Hoosiers’ head coach. In just his second season in Bloomington, McCracken led Indiana to a national championship in 1940 and quickly made the Hoosiers one of the powers of the Big Ten. After five second-place finishes between 1940-52, McCracken was able to win his first Big Ten title in the 1952-53 season. He coached Indiana to an impressive 17-1 mark in conference play that year before leading the Hoosiers to their second national championship.

McCracken continued to coach Indiana after that title victory, even though it was his last. The Hoosiers won the Big Ten three more times and had a couple more 20-win seasons in an era where most teams played 25 games or fewer, as the NCAA Tournament had yet to undergo major expansion. So, similar to Lambert and others on this list, McCracken’s win total is arguably suppressed compared to others even though he coached Indiana for 29 seasons. 

Still, McCracken finished his career second in total wins (364) and conference wins (210) in Big Ten history at the time he departed Indiana in 1965. As of February 2025, he’s tied for seventh in the former and seventh in the latter.

2. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo

No coach in the history of the Big Ten has won more conference games than Izzo, who has made Michigan State one of the models of consistency in the sport since he became its head coach in 1995. After making the NIT in his first two seasons at the helm in East Lansing, Izzo has coached the Spartans to an NCAA Tournament in each season since (excluding the 2019-20 season, when the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The run of 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest streak for a coach at a single school. 

It didn’t take long for Izzo to win a national title, either. He led the Spartans to a national title in his fifth season in 2000, which was sandwiched between two other Final Four appearances. That run made Izzo just one of three coaches to lead his team to three straight Final Four appearances since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Izzo’s made the Final Four five more times since then. Additionally, 26 of Izzo’s first 29 recruiting classes of four-year players have experienced a trip to the Final Four. 

Izzo’s 10 regular-season Big Ten titles are the second-most all-time, and his six conference tournament titles are the most in the history of the conference, two more than second place.

1. Indiana’s Bob Knight

Even though Izzo surpassed Knight for the most conference wins in Big Ten history, Knight’s résumé as the best head coach in the conference’s history is undeniable. The Hoosiers were in the NCAA Tournament nearly every year that Knight was at the helm, making it 25 times in his 29 seasons as head coach (1971-2000). 

Of course, Knight had some pretty strong success in March, too. He led Indiana to three national titles, the most for any coach in the history of the Big Ten, including the last perfect season in Division I in 1975-76 (32-0). Indiana made the Final Four in two other occasions with Knight to go with eight total Elite Eight appearances and 13 Sweet 16 trips. 

In conference play, Knight also had Indiana rolling. His 11 regular-season Big Ten titles are tied for the most in the conference’s history, finishing outside the top five in Big Ten play on just three occasions. Knight’s time at Indiana came to an unceremonious end in 2000 after a former player accused him of choking him and later aggressively grabbing a student. Prior to Izzo, Knight had the records for the most total wins (727) and conference victories (353) in Big Ten history.

Honorable mentions:

• Wisconsin’s Harold “Bud” Foster
• Illinois’ Harry Combes

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